​As a young girl growing up in southeastern Michigan, I have early memories of entrepreneurship. One memory in particular involved making handmade jewelry at about six or seven years old. I'd carefully choose the colors of the beads, string them on dental floss in the perfect pattern, and carry them with me as I went door to door in my neighborhood. My specialty was matching bracelets and necklaces, and I charged a dollar apiece. Around that same time, my dad had started a local power washing business and together we'd drive around subdivisions, hanging neon flyers on mailboxes in the evenings. It was fun trying to roll up the window before the sprinklers got us (and sometimes they did)!

​

Throughout the years, I filled my schedule with a variety of art classes, my favorite being commercial design. I loved every aspect of it, from concept, to designing a logo, to choosing color schemes, branding, and playing around on platforms like Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  I continued studying art, and

I was accepted into a local college on a full scholarship for interior design. Life had other plans at that time, and instead, I entered into the workforce.

​

​I have held various positions and titles in administrative and customer service roles within the retail and banking industries over the span of 20 years. I knew customer service inside and out, and I had become very good at it. I developed many valuable soft skills, and a few hard skills along the way too.  While I enjoyed the work, I also wondered if there was something that would be a better fit (I even tried my hand at a couple MLMs, and stayed longer than I should have...but that's another story for a different day!).

​

Fast forward to 2018, my son was born and like many new parents, I was desperately trying to make things work. I was in a fairly new industry that exploded during the pandemic and I was on the road constantly.  I was providing a much needed service to my local community, but I also wanted to be present and available for my family. It was a never ending, exhausting struggle to maintain balance.  I continued working for the next few years, very much aware that it was not sustainable long-term, but unsure of what my next steps would be. One of my favorite quotes is that faith is taking the first step without seeing the whole staircase. 

​

So, I took a leap of faith and created Second & Laurel. 

​

I'm still in Michigan along with my husband, and our son is now in his early elementary years. My hope is to serve my clients well with the skills that I have developed over the years. My goal is to give them peace of mind, and more time to spend with their loved ones.

​

​

​

 

​

 

​